Du Page Will Let Union Recognition Vote Stand

December 02, 1987

Du Page County officials said Tuesday that they do not plan to appeal the results of a Nov. 20 vote by a group of county craft employees to join a union.

Employees in the county`s capital plant, Public Works Department and sewage treatment plant voted 24-22 to recognize the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399 as their bargaining agent. Two members of the 48-member group were unavailable to vote.

It was a one-vote victory for the union since union recognition would have failed had the vote ended in a tie.

The union was the first ever to be recognized as a collective bargaining agent for any of Du Page County`s 2,500 employees.

The county had until Tuesday to appeal the results of the vote with the Illinois State Labor Relations Board.

Contract negotiations between the county and the union are expected to begin within the next few weeks.

At the time of the vote, Jack Tenison, county personnel chief, said it would not surprise him if it takes six months to come to terms with Local 399 over what will be the county`s first union contract.

Meanwhile, the Fraternal Order of Police is seeking to organize the county deputy sheriffs.

Two previous attempts by unions to organize groups of Du Page County employees in December, 1985, and April, 1986, were defeated.